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COMMONWEALTH: Govts Increase Funds for Civil Society
By Sanjay Suri
ABUJA, Nigeria, Dec 7 (IPS) - Heads of government have accepted an
increase in funding for civil society initiatives through an increase in
the budget for the Commonwealth Foundation.
The Commonwealth Foundation is an independent Commonwealth
institution that supports civil society and people's initiatives in
member countries. The Foundation is building itself up to a "people's
Commonwealth".
The Foundation was established in 1965, but has become far more
active in recent years. The heads of government meeting in Coolum in
Australia two years back mandated a far stronger role for it.
The precise increase in budget has not been announced yet, but the
increase is expected to be "not insubstantial", an official said. The
Commonwealth Foundation has at present a budget of 4.3 million dollars a
year.
The budget increase follows a presentation by director of the
Commonwealth Foundation Colin Ball to heads of government Friday.
As Ball put it, governments need to "acknowledge the need to review
the level of assessed contributions which members make to create the
resources needed to do the job."
The Foundation focuses its resources more closely now on supporting
the priorities and tasks inherent in CHOGM decisions, but they are
insufficient, he said.
"A modest increase in the level of assessed contributions, together
with more voluntary contributions by governments to particular
Foundation activitiesàwould be of great assistance," he said.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo who was in the chair asked heads
if they had any objection to increasing the budget of the Foundation.
There were none. Obasanjo declared that this meant that an increased
budget was now accepted.
Ball urged heads of government to visit the people's market set up at
the Yar'Adua centre where the Commonwealth People's Forum was held. The
market was held up as more than a symbol of a people presence in the
CHOGM process.
"During the first three days alone over 34,000 people visited the
Commonwealth Market," Ball said.
"Here, and through our work over the past two years, civil society is
urging us to do even more to strengthen the quality and extent of its
engagement and partnerships with governments and the Commonwealth," he
said. "We need your urgings, and we urge you to heed them too."
The heads of government were given about one hour in their schedule
for an optional visit to the Commonwealth market set up by the
Commonwealth People's Forum. "I urge all present to participate, see
civil society in action and heed the voices and messages," Ball said.
The hour that could have gone into this was taken up by delayed
meetings and a tree-planting ceremony. But it was not an entirely blank
hour at the market. Leaders from Tanzania and Barbados visited the
market early in the afternoon, and leaders from Papua New Guinea and
Lesotho visited the Yar'Adua centre where the Commonwealth People's
Forum has held most of its meetings.
Earlier on Friday it was spouses who visited the market and the
centre. Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II who is the
formal head of the Commonwealth visited the market, Cherie Blair, wife
of British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the Yar'Adua centre.
To civil society activists the low score among a total of 54 heads of
government was further indication that most heads of government had more
time for politics and business than for direct people activities.
Civil society groups have been trying to get through to heads of
government even if they cannot meet them.
"Many statements, reports and communiqués will reach you from these
activities," Ball said. "I hope in your own Communiqué heads will
acknowledge these contributions and thus reassure civil society that its
voice is being heard."
Besides accepting an increase in funding, the heads of government
accepted a "framework for action" proposed by the Foundation. This
framework provides for recognition that civil society makes "positive
and vital contributions to development and democracy."
It envisages the strengthening of civil society, more citizen
participation in governance and greater facilitation of civil society
contribution to Commonwealth priorities. (END/2003)
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